‘You Should’ve Come Out to Address Protesters,’ Momodu Writes Tinubu

"You Should Have Come Out to Address Protesters," Momodu Writes Tinubu

Dear Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,

I’m writing my third letter to you in weeks, on the first day of what might turn out to be a long and torturous protest in the history of Nigeria. This is what I owe you. Be rest assured that I’m a man of modest income who is happy to live within his means and not looking for anything from you, other than good governance.

You and I have a chequered history spanning decades and I have never lobbied you for appointments after we returned from exile in 1998, and you were Governor of Lagos State for eight years, and you’ve been in absolute control in the last 25 years.

Sir, it has become pertinent to state this lest the deluge of blackmailers swarming all over you might think I’m one of them. My motive in writing you is absolutely pure. Now to the meat of this epistle…

DID WE NOT ALERT THE GOVERNMENT ENOUGH? We were abused for advising the President of our country. Some power drunk leaders even threatened and boasted on television that ABUJA was a no-no for the protesters. But, today, the people marched majestically on the streets of FCT and the Emperors and their acolytes were nowhere to be found… I’m sure you saw what happened nationwide. It is a lesson of history that you and yours must learn. No leader should provoke the suffering people, flagrantly.

I coninue to join other peace-loving Nigerians in appealing to the protesters to maintain peace at all costs. But your government should improve its terrible communication strategies. For whatever it’s worth, you should have come out to address your fellow citizens. The feeling out there is that you’ve changed from the pro-democracy leader we used to know. A State of emergency won’t solve the problems…

The way forward would entail a huge sacrifice: the Federal government should downsize drastically, by sacking most of the deadwoods imported to Abuja from Lagos in the name of political appointments. Ministries should be merged for cheaper and more efficient operations. The outlandish profligacy of governments at all levels must stop. The States must replicate too.